Kim, thanks for posting this each week and for keeping us in your thoughts and prayers. As I've said before, this thread is an important one for me because it helps me set daily priorities and pace myself accordingly.

I just finished my first very brief (less than a minute) session on the elliptical machine. It's a good work out for my legs as well as being aerobic(it sure didn't take long for my heart-rate to increase). I expect it will take a long time for me to get to the point where I can do ten minutes or more. babysteps.

I'm going to do a quick pick up and tidy of the house, then read, then rest. This evening my friend and I are planning a trip to the dollar store before going to the OA meeting. So a preemptive rest is in order

I need to clean the glass on my huge tv/curio cabinet, when the sun shines on it in the afternoon, you can really see how bad it's getting. But my afternoons are usually spent with low blood sugar readings and not feeling well.

I need to go out in town and find my favorite salad dressing.

I should vacuum all the stairs and run the roomba downstairs.

Get hubby ready to leave for his trip to the states on Saturday. He wants help packing because of all the winter clothes he needs to take with him.

Big payday grocery shopping is this week too. Also want to stop in at the thrift store on base to buy some cheap books to read.

I'm back after a three-day weekend. Unfortunately, I spent all day Saturday and part of Sunday at home as I was having a flare-up that started later on Friday. A lot of bladder and lower back pain. We were on the edge of the big ice storm so I didn't want to go out anyway. So we spent a lot of quiet time at home, which was good after the hectic work week I had last week.

So far today has been another busy day at work. I leave in a few minutes so I knew I had to get on here! I agree-it does seem hard to believe that already January is half over.

As for my to-do list:

-Go to my follow-up appt. (finally!) with the ear
specialist to talk about my ear surgery last month and
see if I need to have another surgery (no change in my
hearing yet, unfortunately) It's a late afternoon
appt., but my husband is driving me so that is a relief
-Ironing (I am determined not to get so behind in this)
-Empty wastebaskets

I have gone to the post office, shopped at a couple thrift stores, cleaned our bathrooms and am doing some laundry.

I am going to do a few more things and then read a book for a bit.

Dinner tonight. We are now eating two different meals as I am on a diet and Jim isn't keen on my food. He is trying to lose weight, too, but we have such different tastes. He hates veggies, and I love them.

So, he gets a small steak, a small portion of pasta, and a salad...iceberg lettuce only! I am having a stuffed sweet potato with vegetarian chili and a salad. He would croak if I served him that.

Not too bad, though. He's a good guy and very accepting of different foods if they fall within certain bounds. He just has eaten this way his whole life, and as he is very healthy, I'll let things be. I have changed many things that have helped him, but he doesn't really know that.

Anyway, that's that. Hope you are all well and have power to keep warm. Our nation is really gripped with a cold snap. Take care of yourselves.

This has been such a busy month for me-both in my working and my personal life. I found out last night that my aunt died Monday night. She's been sick for many years. I saw her obituary in the paper. I have never really been close to her or my uncle. The visitation is tomorrow and the funeral Friday morning.

My appt. with the ear specialist went well. He calmed my fears of still not hearing well. He said that sometimes it takes several months to get your hearing back. I wish he had told me this before the surgery, but oh well. He saw some dried blood in my ear. Boy did that hurt when he pulled it out! He asked me if I could hear any better after that, but I said there was no difference.

I have another appt. with him in two months. At that time I will have another hearing test and then right after that I have my appt. with him where he will review the test results and determine if I need to have the second surgery. The second surgery would be that he would take out the hammer in my middle ear and replace it with an artificial one. That sounds kind of scary.

Okay, here's to my to-do list for today:

-pick up prescription for husband after work
-vacuum
-clean bathroom sink
-leftover chop suey for dinner-just have to make more rice

1. Morning Routine
2. Laundry (getting caught up to get back into my routine)
3. cleaning off the kitchen table so we can use it again..Been a catch all for a couple weeks now.
4. Stretching exercises
5. cleaning bathroom..any flat surfaces..decluttering etc.
6. cleaning off 1 shelf in bedroom a day til its done
7. taking son to and from work
8. making supper
9. watching American Idol!!!
10. before bed routine.
11. trying to get into a routine of sleeping at a decent hour and getting up at a decent hour..

This is going to be a long day, I'm afraid. I have to work my normal half day, go to my pool therapy class, rest for maybe a half hour, then back into town again with my husband to attend a visitation for my aunt who died on Monday. I know this sounds awful, but I really wish I could get out of it. I have never been close to either my aunt or uncle, nor to my aunt's children (she was married before she married my uncle). I haven't seen my cousins in 30 years. My cousins were always kind of wild-breaking the law, my one cousin kepting having abortions, etc. Hopefully they have changed by now. Plus, I'm not close to any of my own siblings (long story) so I'm hoping none of them are there.

Does anyone else here feel uncomfortable when you have to attend parties or other social situations? I'm better at small talk than I used to be, but it doesn't come natural. I know I shouldn't get myself stressed out about this.

I won't be here tomorrow since I will be attending the funeral tomorrow morning.

1. Morning routine
2. two loads of laundry
3. clean out a junk drawer
4. clean out the filing cabinet
5. look through a couple magazines so I can throw them out
6. make supper( pork chops,stuffing and mac n cheese)
7. Before bedtime routine

Other then that relaxing ... gotta go so I can get started on that filing cabinet..quit even looking in it a year ago cause it's a disaster!!LOL
CindyVR

I slept in this morning, then stayed in bed for a couple hours with my heating pad, drinking coffee and watching TV. A slow start gives my morning medication a chance to do it's work. When I get the chance to stay in bed like this, typically what follows is a relatively good day.

Sweetie is home today and we're planning to stay indoors, given the brutal cold outside. I have some things I want to read and I need to return a couple phone calls. Beyond that, there's nothing on today's agenda.

Sorry for butting in.........Man, you people are amazing! I get tired just reading your daily lists. Please don't be offended but do you actually get all this stuff done or is it just your goal for the day?

I sometimes wonder if after 13 years of FMS that maybe I have just become lazy. Maybe I need to start posting here in the mornings and I might get more done.....

I forced myself to go to the grocery store yesterday, I had to go, but by bedtime not only were my shoulders in agony but it hurt to just open and close my hands.

I try to get by on as little pain meds as I can, maybe I should just bite the bullet and take them and get some things done around here, I guess the pain really has just made me afraid of the consequences.